1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disk device for recording or reproducing information to or from a disk such as a CD (a compact disk) or a DVD (a digital versatile disk or a digital video disk) or the like, and more particularly, a disk device in which the disks are newly inserted and each of the disks can be driven.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 41A-41F are illustrative views showing a replacement work for disks in the prior art disk device.
In the prior art disk device, there was present a system in which although a disk insertion slot and a disk ejection slot were the same to each other, a subsequent disk could be inserted while a preceding disk was being driven and the disks could be replaced to each other only through a one-hand operation, for example.
As shown in FIGS. 41A-41F, as positions of the disk 50 (50-1 and 50-2) within such a disk device as described above, a disk inserting/ejecting position 52, a disk driving position 51 and a second driving position 53 above and below the disk inserting/ejecting position 52 are set.
Reference numeral 54 denotes a driving unit, wherein the disk 50 is mounted on a turntable (not shown) of the driving unit 54 and the disk 50 is driven under a state in which the disk 50 is clamped against the turntable by a clamp member 55. In addition, the insertion slot 56 for use in inserting the disk 50 is arranged at a front panel (not shown) of the disk device in correspondence with the disk inserting/ejecting position 52. In addition, reference numeral 57 denotes a supporting means having two upper and lower supporting positions 57a, 57b, wherein the disk transferred through the insertion slot 56 and the disk left in the disk device are temporarily supported.
Then, when the next disk 50-2 is inserted into the insertion slot 56 (FIG. 41B) under a state in which the disk 50-1 is being reproduced at the first driving position 51, for example, (FIG. 41A), a sensor not shown detects this disk 50-2 and the reproducing operation of the disk 50-1 is stopped in response to this detected signal.
Then, the driving unit 54 descends down to the second driving position 53 (so as to perform an unclamping operation) (FIG. 41B). Further, when the inserted disk 50-2 is fed into the supporting position 57b of the supporting means 57 and reaches up to the inserting/ejecting position 52 (FIG. 41C), the supporting means 57 supporting the disk 50-1 placed at the first driving position 51 and the disk 50-2 placed at the inserting/ejecting position 52 descends (FIG. 41C) and its descending operation is stopped at a position where the disk 50-2 placed at the inserting/ejecting position 52 reaches the second driving position 53 (FIG. 41D).
Under this operation, the disk 50-1 placed at the first driving position 51 comes to the inserting/ejecting position 52 and the disk 50-2 is ejected (FIG. 41E). Then, the disk 50-2 placed at the second driving position 53 is clamped by the clamp member 55 against the driving unit 54 (a clamping operation) and a reproducing operation of the disk 50-2, for example, is carried out.
However, the prior art disk device has been constructed such that when the disk 50-1 being driven was replaced with a next disk 50-2, the disk 50-2 was temporarily supported by the supporting means 57 and the supporting means 57 was descended down until the disk 50-2 reaches the driving position 53, so that it took much time for descending the supporting means 57 and the replacement work needed much time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk device capable of shortening a disk replacement time.
As a first apparatus for solving the above described problem, there is provided a disk device comprising one insertion/ejection slot for inserting or ejecting a disk, a transferring means for transferring the disk inserted into the insertion/ejection slot to a position where it can be driven, and a driving unit ascended or descended in a direction crossing at a right angle with a disk surface of the disk transferred to the position where it can be driven and for driving the disk while mounting it thereon, wherein a first driving position and a second driving position where the disk is driven are set at different positions along the ascending or descending direction of the driving unit, the transferring means has a distributing mechanism for selectively changing over a transferring direction of the disk to either the first driving position or the second driving position, and when a next disk is inserted into the insertion/ejection slot under a state in which the disk is present at one of the driving positions of either the first driving means or the second driving position, the next disk inserted is transferred to the other driving position where no disk is present, the disk already present is ejected out of the insertion/ejection slot, resulting in that the next disk is driven by the driving unit.
As a second apparatus, there are provided one insertion/ejection slot for use in inserting or ejecting a disk, a transferring means for transferring the disk inserted into the insertion/ejection slot and a driving unit which can ascend or descend in a direction crossing at a right angle with a surface of the disk, each of a first driving position and a second driving position is set at different positions in the direction crossing at a right angle, the transferring means has a distributing mechanism for selectively changing over a transferring direction of the inserted disk to either the first driving position or the second driving position, the disk transferred to either the first driving position or the second driving position by the transferring means is installed by the driving unit ascended or descended in correspondence with the disk so as to drive the disk.
Further, as a third apparatus for solving the problem above, there is provided a system in which when a new desk is inserted from the insertion/ejection slot, the disk is transferred by the transferring means to a vacant position in either the first driving position or the second driving position, the disk already transferred into the disk device is transferred in reverse through the transferring passage of the disk into the disk device and carried out to the insertion/ejection slot.
Further, as a fourth apparatus for solving the problem above, the transferring means has a transferring roller and a pressing member, the disk is held between the transferring roller and the pressing member and the transferring roller is rotated.
Further, as a fifth apparatus for solving the problem above, the distributing mechanism has two opposed slant surfaces which can be selectively changed over against the insertion/ejection slot, the extremity of the disk inserted from the insertion/ejection slot is abutted against one slant surface and moved along the slant passage, thereby the transferring direction of the disk is changed over toward the first driving position and further abutted against the other slant surface to be changed over to the second driving position.
Further, as a sixth apparatus for solving the problem above, the distributing mechanism has a distributing plate turned in such a direction as one crossing at a right angle with the surface of the disk, an opposing surface against the insertion/ejection slot at the first rotating position of the distributing plate is applied as one slant surface and the opposing surface at the second rotating position is applied as the other slant surface.